#amputee exercises

[rimbaudsleg]

Blind amputee

[rimbaudsleg]

Hip dis treadmill athlete

[disagigglebilities]

Not me telling grown ass men they sound like idiots when they go on about how "attitude changes everything" wrt disability. Like uh no. No amount of smiling is gonna make my heart rate stay down. Stfu you dumb fucks

[cripplecharacters]

I was wondering: I noticed that in art I almost always see limb stumps that are, for the lack of a better word, thick and with a rounded end. But observing amputees around me, what I noticed is that their stumps are more tapered, they also are often uneven instead of perfectly round, and the rest of the limb is often thinner as a result of less muscle mass.

Is this coincidental, or do you think stumps are represented in a way that is assumed to be more aesthetically pleasing to abled folk? How common is the "perfect round muscular stump" thing, if at all??

Hello!

As an artist that seeks out art of disabled characters, it's 100% trying to make the character look "less disabled and more pretty". It's usually not a conscious decision, most people just have pretty=good and disabled=ugly ingrained into them and don't think about it ever. Positive depictions of disabled people will do everything to portray them as conventionally attractive as possible, and there is no disability that is exempt from this.

This applies to everything. Most art showing disabled people will try to keep the disability to the absolute minimum - it's not coincidence that positive disabled characters have to be white, thin, young, if they use a prosthetic it has to be really cool and/or unrealistic, if they use a wheelchair it has to be a manual that has to be really cool and/or unrealistic, and they have to look as abled as possible; an abled model who just happened to be holding a cane is preferable since gait disorders are ugly. Good luck trying to find a drawing of a character using an ostomy bag, with congenital skeletal conditions, with severe spasticity, in one of these big powerchairs, I won't mention facial differences and how non-existent realistic representation of them is. Hell, it can be hard to find art of blind characters who aren't wearing blindfolds and eyepatches (since disabled body part ugly), let alone using an aid like a cane or a brailler (since that's Disability, and not just a quirky character trait).

With stumps, it's the same thing. Most often you don't see them, since they are Clearly Disabled. Usually they're behind a cool prosthetic that's called something else (cyborg bionic automail whatever...) that sounds less disabled. If they aren't, they're probably bandaged, since they are Surely Scary. If they aren't that, they will be perfectly round, scarless (or with that big "starburst" type scar for some reason), symmetrical to other limb, and essentially look like you just erased the rest of a model's leg or arm.

Again, I don't think this is done on purpose, I think artists just don't think enough about how they choose to portray minorities. No one is researching anything, everything is a game of telephone from how someone else draws it, who cares that that person didn't bother to check anything either.

[Disclaimer that we don't have amputee mods]

How common is the "perfect round muscular stump" thing?

Not very common, but someone with a disarticulation (much more rare than through-bone) will have their muscles still attached to something and thus may not have the kind of tissue atrophy like someone with an above the knee amputation will. Even weightlifters with an above/below amputation will have some degree of atrophy (you can look at guys like Max Okun, etc.) so it's not like you can just "exercise it out".

A residual limb can be fairly round, but it mostly depends on where it actually is. A lot of people will have excess skin from skin flaps + tissue atrophy which gives it a different shape, BE amputees can have the actual bone shapes visible on the stump, etc. And of course there is scar tissue (unless it's congenital) which can affect how the limb looks like beyond just the sew line being visible; it can leave the stump with an indent around it, etc.

But all of that is of course Disability and Different, so it gets omitted in art. It'd be cool if this wasn't the case, but what can you do.

mod Sasza

[nasa]

For the Benefit of All: Assistive Tech Developed from NASA Tech

What do modern cochlear implants and robotic gloves have in common? They were derived from NASA technology. We’ve made it easier to find and use our patented inventions that could help create products that enhance life for people with disabilities.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which highlights the contributions of American workers with disabilities – many of whom use assistive technology on the job. Take a look at these assistive technologies that are NASA spinoffs.

Low-Vision Headsets

The Joint Optical Reflective Display (JORDY) device is a headset that uses NASA image processing and head-mounted display technology to enable people with low vision to read and write. JORDY enhances individuals’ remaining sight by magnifying objects up to 50 times and allowing them to change contrast, brightness, and display modes. JORDY's name was inspired by Geordi La Forge, a blind character from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” whose futuristic visor enabled him to see.

Cochlear Implants

Work that led to the modern cochlear implant was patented by a NASA engineer in the 1970s. Following three failed corrective surgeries, Adam Kissiah combined his NASA electronics know-how with research in the Kennedy Space Center technical library to build his own solution for people with severe-to-profound hearing loss who receive little or no benefit from hearing aids. Several companies now make the devices, which have been implanted in hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

Robotic Gloves

Ironhand, from Swedish company Bioservo Technologies, is the world’s first industrial-strength robotic glove for factory workers and others who perform repetitive manual tasks. It helps prevent stress injuries but has been especially warmly received by workers with preexisting hand injuries and conditions. The glove is based on a suite of patents for the technology developed by NASA and General Motors to build the hands of the Robonaut 2 humanoid robotic astronaut.

Smart Glasses

Neurofeedback technology NASA originally developed to improve pilots’ attention has been the basis for products aimed at helping people manage attention disorders without medication. The devices measure brainwave output to gauge attention levels according to the “engagement index” a NASA engineer created. Then, they show the results to users, helping them learn to voluntarily control their degree of concentration. One such device is a pair of smart glasses from Narbis, whose lenses darken as attention wanes.

Anti-Gravity Treadmills

A NASA scientist who developed ways to use air pressure to simulate gravity for astronauts exercising in space had the idea to apply the concept for the opposite effect on Earth. After licensing his technology, Alter-G Inc. developed its anti-gravity G-Trainer treadmill, which lets users offload some or all of their weight while exercising. The treadmills can help people recover from athletic or brain injuries, and they allow a safe exercise regimen for others with long-term conditions such as arthritis.

Wireless Muscle Sensors

Some of the most exciting assistive technologies to spin off may be yet to come. Delsys Inc. developed electromyographic technology to help NASA understand the effects of long-term weightlessness on astronauts’ muscles and movements. Electromyography detects and analyzes electrical signals emitted when motor nerves trigger movement. Among the company’s customers are physical therapists developing exercise routines to help patients recover from injuries. But some researchers are using the technology to attempt recoveries that once seemed impossible, such as helping paralyzed patients regain movement, letting laryngectomy patients speak, and outfitting amputees with artificial limbs that work like the real thing.  

To further enhance the lives of people with disabilities, NASA has identified a selection of patented technologies created for space missions that could spur the next generation of assistive technology here on Earth.

Want to learn more about assistive technologies already in action? Check out NASA Spinoff to find products and services that wouldn’t exist without space exploration.   

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[feralferrule]

Saturday’s Child, chapter 2

Word count: 4200-ish

Chapter 1

Chapter 3

Fic overview: Bad Batch modern AU. Echo/OC this is part of the Hunter and the Librarian universe by @clonethirstingisreal in which the Batch brothers live together, raising Omega.

OC Althea is a university student with a medical delivery job. Echo is a combat veteran who volunteers at the VA hospital where they meet.

Warnings: some mild fantasizing and voyeurism, some sexually suggestive dialogue but only if you reallly read between the lines, you know? Mentions of body differences, amputated limbs, disability. A touch of unnamed mental health issues. Teeny tiny bit of swearing. Super tame so far

Notes: I’m calling Echo’s amputated limbs his arm and legs in narration. There are differences in opinion on what to refer to an amputated limb by in clinical and in casual conversation. Echo will have his own opinion and that will be a conversation in a future chapter. I want to be as sensitive to amputees and to veterans’ trauma as I can in this fic since it takes place in our normal world.

So there’s all sorts of head cannons over exactly what kind of limb differences Echo has. I’m going with bilateral through the knee amputation using the Mazet technique which he had to have after his below the knee amputations from the field needed revision. (IED explosion injury) This would give him the limb shape, mechanical knees and muscle functionality similar to what we see in the show. Basically, he has a full length femur on both sides and functional hip muscles. This is a rare approach for amputation and I’m not completely sure why, but it seems like more people would benefit from TKA amputation than get the chance to. He also is amputated above the elbow on his right. He has a variety of prosthetics for running, walking, everyday arm and hand needs and for athletic and weight training.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Omega’s excited chattering carried up to Tech as he left his room and made his way down the stairs. Half way down he was able to hear her more clearly.

“She showed me how to do everything for free. I don't have to buy a thing and definitely not one of those expensive kits. She’s going to come over Sunday and see the final results. Oh hey, Tech, I was just telling them about Allie.” Tech raised his eyebrows and straightened his glasses, looking around at the guys. “It was Tech’s idea for her to come to our Super Bowl party.”

Hunter, Wrecker and Echo were in the kitchen and Omega had all her craft supplies spread out across the big dining table. She was gluing pieces of foam together. Tech looked at Echo who seemed somewhat disinterested and a little unsure about the collection of junk and craft supplies falling off the kitchen table.

“Well I’m going to take a shower next,” announced Wrecker.

Hunter's hair was towel dry and hung in damp coils. “Do you think Allie will be coming with a parent or on her own?” he asked both Omega and Tech.

Omega seemed confused and opened her mouth to answer.

“Omega, your glue is spilling out and about to run onto the floor,” Tech interjected before Omega could divulge more details.

“Oh woops,” Omega picked up the glue bottle and Echo handed her a paper towel.

“I’m going to go for a run, blow off steam,” said Echo, eying the glue. As Wrecker helped Omega he went to a closet by the back door and pulled out his running blades. He sat on the floor and swapped out his regular walking legs for the blades. Then changed his hybrid bionic arm with its fingers and harness for his exercise arm with the clamp for weights and bars at the end. “Tech would you be able to see why my left knee wants to bend too quickly? It’s been giving me grief today.”

“I would be happy to,” said Tech taking the leg and looking at the joint. “I’ll plug it into my desktop and run a diagnostic.”

“Thank you.” Echo left out the back door and they could hear the tap tap tap of his blades across the deck and down its ramp to the driveway side of the house.

Tech turned around, bringing the prosthetic to the table. Hunter was picking up a stack of foam pieces that fell on the floor. “Meg, why don’t you get something to put this all in, it can’t stay here taking up the table,” Hunter said.

“Can I set the card table up in my room and make it in there?”

“Yeah that’s a better idea.”

The sound of the shower and Wrecker humming a tune carried from the downstairs bathroom. Tech set the prosthetic down on the table as Omega gathered everything up and ran it upstairs.

“Hunter, what was Omega just telling you about the woman we met at the store?”

“Woman? Allie is an adult?”

“Yes and her name is Althea. I have reason to believe that she is the very Althea that Echo is smitten with. When we got home I looked up the logo on her uniform and it is a medical courier company.”

A bemused look spread on Hunter’s face and he shook his head. “And you invited her over? Sounds like something out of Omega’s playbook. She’s drawn you into her ways,” he chuckled.

Tech cracks a smile, “If it is indeed her I didn’t want to get Echo’s hopes up. I was going to have Omega keep her visit a surprise.”

“Well I think Echo and Wrecker both assumed she’s a kid named Allie like I did. But yeah let’s just let it go for now, she might not even be the same person. And- if she does show up it could be because she likes you.” Hunter raised an eyebrow.

“That -had not occurred to me.” Tech said bringing his hand up to his chin and rubbing his stubble.

*************

Echo raised his arms above his head as the endorphins washed through him. He’d slowed to a walk to cool down after running a few laps around the block and park nearby. He walked up the driveway around to the back of the house and up the ramp to the back deck. He was feeling a lot better and his cycling thoughts and insecurities had subsided. He picked up the little bowl for the stray cat that comes around off the table by the grill and took it inside, setting it in the sink to wash after he got cleaned up.

Tech came downstairs with his leg, having heard him enter and shuffle around.

“I have adjusted your knee and I think you will feel an improvement in its performance.”

“Thanks Tech, appreciate it,” Echo said as he took the leg from him. He really did appreciate Tech, usually guys had to make an appointment with the prosthetists and sometimes leave the prosthetic with them. Echo knew he was lucky to have Tech who had hacked the prosthetic’s code to be able to work on it. He grabbed his other leg where it was in the closet and took them into the downstairs bathroom to begin his shower routine.

This bathroom had a large walk-in shower with a glass front and door. There was a shower head way up high for Wrecker and a hand held shower head in a mounting lower on the wall and grab bars set where Echo could reach them while on a shower chair. The stall was still wet from Wrecker’s shower but he had not used the chair and put it back in so it was dry. Echo set his walking legs next to the shower door along with a towel, stripped out of his sweaty workout clothes and stuffed them in a hamper. He sat on the shower chair and removed his running blades and peeled the Setting them aside, he then worked on his arm and pulled the arm prosthesis and liner off and added them to the collection of legs. He turned on the shower and held it away from himself till the water ran warm. He took a little longer in the shower than usual, letting the angst and frustration of the day melt away.

After his shower he put his prosthetics back on and wrapped his towel around his waist. He pulled a meal he’d prepped the day before out of the fridge. He considered what he’d write in the note to Althea as it warmed up in the microwave. He washed the cat’s bowl, filled it with catfood and set it out back. It was really cold now, the cat wasn’t out there waiting like she usually would be. He worried a little for her.

After scarfing his food and washing up he set about looking for some paper to write the note. He found an old spiral notebook with crunched corners and some linty post it notes. These weren’t anything very nice to give to Althea, so he decided to go upstairs to ask Omega. The stairs were a lot easier to climb than last time thanks to Tech’s expertise with his knee. He stoped in his room and threw on some shorts and a t shirt, then went and knocked on Omega’s door.

“Come in!�� She piped, turning down her music she was playing.

Echo opened her door and leaned in. She had all the craft supplies spread out across their card table and her floor. A tablet of Tech’s was propped up and a video of someone assembling a model was playing on it with the volume turned down. The pop music that she liked was playing on a portable speaker he recognized as being Wrecker’s.

“Hi Echo! Do you feel better after your run?”

“Yeah a lot better, thanks. So how’s this all going?” He waved his prosthetic hand at the craft explosion.

“Great, I’ve got the base done and went out and found these little sticks, they’ll be trees.”

“Do you need any help with any of it?”

“Well, later I might need you to hold the taller pieces while I fit it all together, but not right now.”

“Ok just let me know. Hey do you have any, like, blank cards or stationary?”

She stopped her glueing, “Ummm… oh yeah, here.” She went over to her desk drawer and pulled out a pack of notecards. She handed them to Echo, “these don’t say anything inside, and I have thank you cards too.”

Echo filed through the pack,“Blank is what I need.” The cards were all different. Some had animals, some flowers, rainbows and other cute little drawings.

“What's it for?” Omega asked.

“There’s… someone at work I want to give a card to,” he said, trying to decide which card would be appropriate.

“A girl?” asked Omega, picking up on his smidge of awkwardness.

He glanced at her then down at the cards again. “Well yeah. I want to give her my phone number but don’t want to just put it on a sticky note.”

Omega’s eyes lit up with delight at helping her brother with some social engineering. She stood up and took the cards. “Do you know if she likes cats or dogs?”

“No,” he said slowly.

“Ok let’s not use one of those. These are kind of babyish,” Omega started setting the cards she determined to be inappropriate down on the desk. “How about flowers or a sun?”

Echo liked the sun card and it gave him an idea. “I’ll take this one,” he said, pulling it out of the stack Omega had fanned out in her hands.

“Don’t forget the envelope.”

“Thanks, Meg,” Echo said.

“No problem, good luck!” She turned back to her project leaving the cards on her desk.

Echo took the card to his room. He pulled a book off of one of his shelves and found a pen. He sat on his bed with the book as a lap desk and wrote a short note in the card with his cell number then tucked the card into the envelope. Closing his eyes he imagined kissing her as he licked the envelope’s glue. He sealed it down, smoothing the envelope with his fingers, wondering if she felt as soft as she looked. He sighed and set the card down on his nightstand. The amber bottles of pills rattled in his nightstands drawer as he pulled it out. He threw his night time meds in his mouth with a swig of the water bottle he keeps by his bed. It wasn’t very late and he could hear the tv downstairs so he went down to spend time with whoever was watching. But mainly to keep his mind off getting his hopes up and to distract it from spiraling into dark thoughts about his lack of worth.

*********

Althea hustled across the hospital lobby. The service entrance she usually used was still blocked off for repairs so she had parked on the other side of the building. This meant it took more time for deliveries at the VA which she thought she factored into her schedule, but she still seemed to be running late.

Echo rounded a corner with an elderly patient in a wheelchair heading for the transport vans in front of the hospital.

“You should have seen us. None of my guys had ever been outside of their little farm towns and now they were surrounded by the deepest darkest jungle you ever saw.” Echo listened to the man recollect from his service days, but he stopped paying attention. Althea was just across the way and coming closer. He could tell she was headed for an exit out back and who knows when he’d see her again. He told himself now or never.

“Sir, can I step away for a moment? There’s someone I need to talk to over there.”

“Well ok, son, just don’t be too long, I need to catch that shuttle,” the man said crankily. Echo parked him next to a wall and set the brake on the chair. Then he made a beeline for Althea who was bringing her phone up to her ear. She had a short conversation that ended with her saying “hello, hello?” She ended the call.

“The signal back here is really bad,” Echo said.

She looked up quickly and smiled nervously as he approached, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. He was already quite close to her. He had an expectant expression and rubbed at the back of his neck with his hand.

“I am sorry that I was such a jerk on Monday, I-“

Her phone buzzed and she glanced at it as the call dropped again. She looked back up at him and gave him a kind expression. He seemed to be more anxious.

“I won’t keep you from your work, I just wanted to give you this.” He handed her a small envelope, which she took and looked back up at him questioningly. Her phone buzzed again, a text this time. “Have- have a good day,” Echo said in a rush and went back to his patient who had been watching the interaction with interest. She

She tucked his note away in her jacket’s inside pocket as the old veteran craned his neck to look at her while Echo pushed him toward the front exit of the hospital. She hurried out to the back to get a better signal and call dispatch back since that’s what the text said to do.

**********

Althea got home and kicked off her shoes and set her lunch bag down on her little kitchen counter. Her place was a tiny studio converted from a detached garage. It had a little kitchen and bathroom with a tub. The entry door was just off the deck that wrapped around the main house where the landlord lived. A privacy fence wrapped around the property. It felt safe and cozy and like better times- she’d lived here before when she first went to college.

She was mentally worn out from all the bad traffic that day and just wanted to veg out instead of study. She decided to do some laundry and wash her work clothes so she changed into sweats and went through her pockets. Oh yeah- the little card Echo gave me, she thought. She’d totally forgotten about it with how stressful the afternoon had been. She set the jacket in the laundry bushel, sat on her little couch with the card and had a look at it.

It was smaller than a cellphone. The envelope was yellow and it felt like it was sealed with care. She reached over to her work table for the scissors she left there and used them as a letter opener instead of ripping into the thing like it was a bill. The card inside had an illustration of a sun on it. She opened it and saw a short note and a phone number:

“You make my days brighter. I hope I can brighten yours, too. There’s a Super Bowl party at my house this weekend if you’d like to come over, or we can get that coffee.

-Echo”

She sat there feeling overwhelmed with how sweet this was and how all his awkwardness really was just him liking her. She felt her heart flutter a little and pictured his face, the beanie he always wore, the way he carried himself. His voice. Her guarded heart felt totally vulnerable suddenly. She took a deep breath and looked at the sun on the card. Golden like Echo’s fascinating eyes. She took the card over to her dresser and set it on top with all her special keepsakes and crystals and little feathers and sea glass. Her crow’s nest of shiny objects. It felt like it belonged there, no one had ever written her anything like that before. She decided she’d text him later when she found the words. Picking up the bushel she headed outside to the laundry room off the breezeway behind her studio.

********

It was between classes and Althea sat in the cold sunshine sipping a coffee trying to snap out of her fatigue. She had stayed up really late studying for one class’s test and reviewing material before another’s lecture. And there was a lab she had to work on. It was one of those days when it all piles up. She’d not had a chance to decide what she would text Echo so after her test she got out her phone and opened the photo app. She’d taken a picture of the inside of the card and a picture of it displayed on her dresser. She dialed in the number in the text app and started typing what she hoped didn’t sound too silly or eager or cringy.

Hi Echo it’s Althea🙂

Thank you for the card, I really like it. It is so sweet of you. And thank you for the invite but I already made plans this Sunday

She read it a few times, took a deep breath and hit send. Why was this so hard? It was about time for her lecture class so she went in to pick a seat. Half way through, her phone buzzed. She peaked at it and saw it was Echo.

Hi Althea😃 That’s ok, no worries

She checked her phone again after class and there weren’t any new messages so she texted him back.

How about that coffee?

He texted right back this time

Yeah let me know when you get your schedule and we can coordinate

Ok🙂 bye gotta go to work now

She looked at her calendar on her phone and saw that there weren’t any big assignments or tests next week so she decided that she'd let Echo know that her evenings were pretty free. Just later- she had to get going and couldn’t spend any more time on her phone. She pocketed her phone and hoped Echo didn’t feel bad, but had to throw her uniform on to pick up a late run to a fairly remote location and back to a large hospital lab across town. Some sort of refrigerated sample had to get there quickly.

************

Echo let the conversation go and slid his blades’s sockets onto his legs to head out for a run to clear his head. He’d checked his phone a million times since he’d given her the note. Althea seemed sweet but his mind wouldn’t stop telling him that she was just being nice and wasn't going to follow up with him. He knew that it was just his demons talking but he needed to pound some pavement to really drown them out. Hunter and Crosshair could tell he was extra bothered by something and exchanged a concerned look before Cross left for work.

******

It was Friday. Even though she never really had a weekend because she used them to study and she picked up delivery routes, she still felt a little more relaxed. She had just finished an equipment delivery to the VA’s orthopedic department and was pushing the empty hand cart down a hall and out to the lobby when she saw Echo. He was crouched down giving a child in a wheelchair a high five. The kid was beaming and clearly thought Echo was so cool. Althea felt like she could melt from the confident and caring manner Echo was treating that little boy. She didn’t want to interrupt them so she went around the long way past the cafe. She could hear Echo’s strong deep voice over the other noises around her.

“You’re doing great, keep up the good work. I’ll see you back here when your leg arrives and help you get fitted.”

He exchanged some words a little quieter with the boy’s parents shaking their hands. She was thinking about approaching him as the family made to leave when she heard her name behind her. It was Kix. He introduced himself last time she’d seen him there, a former corpsman now a paramedic. He was fit and handsome and seemed to know it.

“Hey, Althea, how’re you doing?” Kix asks, looking her up and down.

“Oh you know, busy with work and school.” She starts to step away with her cart.

He reaches out and lightly grasps her arm, letting it linger there. “Hey I was wondering if you wanted to go to a Super Bowl party. My brother’s going too, he’s a firefighter.”

Althea could tell he thought that would be impressive. She pulled away from his touch glancing over at Echo. She couldn’t tell but it looked like he was turning his head away from looking at her. “Oh wow you boys are all so brave.” She smiled at Kix and quickly added, “I have a prior engagement for Super Bowl, sorry.”

Kix plays off her rejection, “Yeah it’s late in the game I should have asked you earlier.”

Her work device buzzed in her hand and she took the opportunity to smile apologeticly and say, “Gotta go, have a good weekend.” She turns fully around looking for Echo in the spot he’d been standing with the family, but he was gone.

**********

Echo saw Trace as he stomped out of the hospital to go home. Trace looked at him with concern, taking in the sour aura radiating off his friend. Echo looked down at him and heaved a sigh. He noticed Trace’s arm was out of the sling and he was wheeling himself around on his own.

“That bad?” asked Trace.

Echo glanced over to the ambulance parked outside of the ER. “How can I compete with that?”

Trace followed Echo’s line of sight and saw another paramedic clap Kix on the shoulder as they walked over to the ambulance holding paper coffee cups. “Compete? You mean with Kix- oooooh. What’d he do? He after your girl?”

“Seems so,” Echo said bitterly. “Had his hands on her, telling her about his firefighter brother,” he added, rolling his eyes.

Trace’s eyes widened and he looked down shaking his head, “Dude.” He couldn’t help but chuckle, “Ah man I'm sorry, I remember you telling me about them. So did she seem to like him?”

“I didn’t stick around to find out. The worst part was he invited her out for Super Bowl, and he’s supposed to come to my place for it.”

Trace shook his head, laughing, “Sheeeeit, mang that’s- I don’t know, that’s awkward as hell, man. But she’s already busy, right? They won’t be showing up with her. Look, Echo, hey,” he wheeled closer and reached up to tap Echo’s elbow. “Turn off the thoughts, go for a run.”

“Yeah you're right,” Echo said as he rubbed his temple with his fingers.

“I gotta go in for PT, but I’ll see you Sunday, probably before halftime.”

“Alright, see you when you get there,” Echo said stepping away. He paused, “Trace?”

Trace stopped wheeling and spun around a little, “Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

Trace nodded and turned to head into the hospital. Echo squinted in the afternoon light and decided running and a harder workout were in order today.

*******

The sun was low in the sky that afternoon as she drove to her last delivery at a dialysis center near the craft store and library. Friday rush hour was in full swing. As she made her way down the boulevard that bordered the neighborhood with the library she saw someone jogging on prosthetic blades. He was facing away from her wearing a ball cap that had the bill curved down on the sides. And he was across the wide busy street. She couldn’t make out his face but could tell he also had a prosthetic arm on his right side. Is that Echo?? she wondered.

She made the delivery and decided to cut through the neighborhood to end her day quicker and avoid the heavy traffic on the main roads.

As she slowed down for a stop next to a park with play equipment and noticed someone hanging from the horizontal bars. Doing chin ups. With one arm- no with two but one was black and technical-looking, ending in a fitting that was clamped to the horizontal bar. And he was wearing running blades. She slowed down to stop at a stop sign. It’s definitely Echo she realized and idled at the intersection staring. His muscles rippled through his tight, sweat soaked compression shirt and bike shorts. Ohhhh. He’s very fit, she noticed, her eyes trailing from his shoulders to his tight butt and thighs- Someone honked behind her and she jumped then drove away hoping he didn’t notice her.

That night at home the loneliness started to bother her. The relief of being on her own had been wearing off over time and she was starting to feel very isolated. She had her study group but hadn’t made much connection with any of them beyond superficial friendship. They were all super busy as well. And younger- enough to feel less of a camaraderie with them. People on her route came and went. Is this just how it’s going to be? Super busy with school, work then more school, more work, a career, work work work, always going going? Everyone doing the same, just busy busy busy like a bee hive all buzzing around past each other?

She picked up the sun card Echo gave her and opened it. She ran a finger over the ink inside and read the words again. Was Echo lonely, too? She doubted it since he seemed to have connections and community at the VA and he probably lived with other people. She got ready for bed and instead of her usual doom scrolling she just stared at the little sun card and thought about Echo, his body strong, if broken, holding her. She thought about taking care of him, helping him, texting him, but what would she say? She didn’t really know him. Her mind was yelling about fear and promises of love that hid selfishness and meanness. She put the card under her pillow, set her alarm, snuggled an extra pillow and tried to sleep.

@adamime

[zjasperwrites]

A Non-Exhaustive List of Tips For Managing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

If you type, write, draw, craft, or do anything with your hands, you are at risk for carpal tunnel! If you're developing any pain, or have none but want to take preventive measures, feel free to try these. I'm not a doctor, but these help my case of severe CTS!

This advice may not apply to everyone, but these are all things you can do without receiving medical care. Yet know that options like pain prescriptions, steroids, and surgery are possible for relief.

Give your hands a break when necessary and feasible. Even just implementing one rest day a week can be extremely beneficial.

Stretch your hands, fingers, arms, and neck regularly. This video can get you started.

Look into a hand massager. I use this one. If your pain is severe, I find massaging before stretching is most effective.

Vary your positions. You can reduce strain by trying differing neutral angles of arm/wrist position while working. Elevation helps.

Use ergonomics. Ones I use include an ergonomic mouse and mousepad, and this support pen from PenAgain.

Explore temperature therapy. Both heat pads or ice packs can be helpful depending on your needs and preferences.

Work on grip strengthening. If you already have CTS pain, be careful, but some wrist/finger exercise can help. I use this tool.

Train yourself to work more gently. Lighten your grip on writing tools, slow down and don't press so hard while typing.

If you already have pain, GET WRIST BRACES. Sleep in them to start, then wear them during the day if needed. You can also...

Try out k-tape. I personally get more pain if I use a brace 24/7, so this k-tape wrap is nice for day-time support.

Look into finger splints too. Finger hypermobility or exertion can strain wrists much more quickly, especially when typing.

Compression gloves also help. These are my "lowest tier" for support when my pain is mildest.

Get comfortable with voice-typing. Adjusting to this can be hard, but its an excellent way to keep writing without hurting yourself.

Especially if you have severe pain, consider tools marketed at amputees. Obviously be mindful of the resources you take up, but accessibility tools are for anyone who needs them. When my pain is at my worst, I am unable to use my arm/hand and can't even raise it, so tools to facilitate one-handed use are helpful.

And finally, not so much a tip, but a warning. Most likely, you'll get CTS pain in your dominant hand first. When that happens, do not switch to your non-dom hand and continue on. That hand is not in the clear, its next. Implement treatment and management in both hands, and use your non-dom hand when necessary while not overworking it either. Don't let yourself fall into denial because you can "get by" without adjustments. I promise the initial ability to keep working without inconvenience is not worth developing CTS in both hands lol.

If anyone else has advice please add on! I live as a walking warning to my husband who crochets to take care of his hands, so here's to hoping I can help others too!

[verdantwyrm]

Hi! Sorry to rant, I don’t know if it’d be appropriate, or if the theme has been discussed already… But you’re, like, the ambassador of Curly enjoyers to me, so I figured this would be my best bet.

The thing is, I’ve been quietly seething lately thinking about how much the perception & treatment of Curly post-crash is defined by his injury. Like, how much it would’ve changed if the man had at least retained his face.

(I mean, he is my fav character for many reasons and in a lot of ways, and yet when replaying the game I have to stop and remind myself every now and then that this is the same person we occasionally play as, with the same set of memories, traits, thinking patterns etc. Not because I forget the fact, but because of how easy it is to subconsciously divide them when he neither behaves nor looks the same anymore. I have a mind exercise of coming to the med bay as I have to pass by, to observe Curly where he lies on his gurney table and try to imagine his pre-accident version looking up at me from there. Something of an attempt to strengthen the associative connection and not be part of the problem.)

Imagine an AU where basically everything is the same but the cockpit didn’t catch fire during the crash, and instead the ship just stopped very abruptly, Curly hit the wall/control panel badly and broke his spine, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. So he is aware but unable to move around or communicate effectively (like in canon), but also he’s completely recognizable. Now, I’m not saying people in the fandom wouldn’t have still treated him like a prop or a pet or a child or some kind of silly f/cked up mascot (bc some people are *****), but I bet my kidney the occurrence would’ve been considerably less common than it is now. And that’s it, that’s the point. The whole dehumanization thing going on is just disheartening.

Anyway, sorry once more if it was all over the place, didn’t mean to be rude... Thanks for listening and for all your committed work as an ambassador and an advocate!

Hi Anon! o(^-^)o Thank you so much! And do not apologise, you have no idea how much I appreciate you and others coming into my inbox and giving me their opinions, feedback and perspective of stuff! Curly is my favourite character as well and I will not tolerate slander! Especially when its just straight up incorrect.

But to answer your question, alot of Curly's post-crash dehumanisation does immensely come from the fact that he's lacking any real facial features. Real life burn victims that have suffered directly to their faces experience this basically every day. Because they lack a """normal""" face thats recognisable, alot of people subconsciously stop recognising these people as Human because they Do Not Look Like One.

Even people that are just double or triple amputees (or in Curly's case, a quadruple amputee) deal with an immense dehumanisation and infantilisation because they "lack the necessary equipment to be an adult human" and perform tasks on their own. There comes a very specific type of infantilisation towards disabled people and thats the utter denial and ignorance that once you "become" disabled you no longer have sexual desires, that you no longer function as an adult and anyone trying to have sex with you or engage with you in that way is a creep because to them you are the equivalent of a 10 year old.

Curly and how he's treated by the fandom and whatnot is significantly impacted by how he looks, and the example you give me of him managing to not burn all of his skin off but would become paralysed from the neck down, I know for a fact that if that was the case, he would be treated significantly worse because he cannot move. Canon Curly isn't paralysed, he's just in an excruciating amount of pain that reduces his movement, but he does still have somewhat control over his limbs. If he somehow ended up paralysed ontop of that, the treatment he receives would be way, way worse. And I can't even begin to describe what that would look like, but I know deep down in my gut that it absolutely would.

If he were to somehow not get burnt but still get paralysed like you said, I think his treatment could be different, but I'm not sure exactly how. He would absolutely still be dehumanised to an extent especially with being paralysed, but its the fact that he has a face that makes a difference. People might be able to remind themselves that he's a grown ass man, but probably not.

You going through the effort to conciously remind yourself that they are infact the same character is actually fantastic, and it shows that you're willing to see disabled people as human beings, real people, even in this case. And you're doing marginally better than alot of people who look at him and completely reduce him to nothing but a dog, creature or an "it" or "thing"

And it's also evident in how Jimmy treats him too, as a liability, that because he's in this state he can just strip away his title like it doesn't mean anything, dehumanise and project his own authority over. Jimmy does this with Anya and Curly, significantly so with her, but in an increasingly horrifying way with Curly.

And thank you so much Anon! Never apologise, I had alot of fun answering this question, and I will continue to work hard as Curlys ambassador and defender! ヾ(*・ω・)ノ

[amputeewomen]

Magical amputee

In the heart of a bustling metropolis, where the hum of the city blended with the whispers of the unseen, lived two friends bound by a secret—the existence of magic. Ashley, a spirited urban explorer with an unquenchable thirst for adrenaline, had always been fascinated by the covert world of spells and enchantments her friend Mia, a modern-day mage, navigated with ease.

Mia, with her cool demeanor and an apartment cluttered with arcane books and technological gadgets, had long promised to introduce Ashley to the art of magic, a promise that had been postponed by the chaos of city life. It wasn't until one seemingly ordinary afternoon, in Mia's high-rise sanctuary, that the promise would be demanded in an unexpected way.

Eager to showcase a newly mastered spell, Mia inadvertently altered the course of their lives. With a few whispered incantations and a misplaced flick of her wrist, she cast a transmutation spell that, to their shock, left Ashley with only one leg. The other had vanished, spirited away by forces they could barely comprehend. The sophisticated aluminum forearm crutches that Ashley now had to rely on felt cold and unyielding—a far cry from the freedom she was accustomed to.

Anger bubbled within Ashley, a fiery contrast to the cool, steel touch of her new supports. "Mia," she said, her voice sharp as a blade, "you better make this right. Teach me magic, for real this time. I want to be able to fix this myself."

Mia, her confidence shaken, knew the weight of her responsibility. The spell wouldn't reverse for four weeks, a period that felt like a lifetime to Ashley. Mia agreed, her guilt fueling a newfound determination to fulfill her overdue promise.

And so, amidst the glow of neon lights and the endless thrum of city life, Ashley began her journey into the world of magic. It was no easy task; the arcane books were dense, filled with esoteric knowledge that twisted the tongue and boggled the mind. Mia guided her through ancient spells, teaching her the delicate balance between the mystical and the mundane.

With each passing day, Ashley's frustration turned to fascination. She learned to harness her inner energy, to manipulate the elements, and to understand the language of the universe. The crutches, once a symbol of her limitation, became a part of her learning, as she used them in her magical exercises, balancing and moving with a grace she hadn't known before.

Ashley's anger faded, replaced by a sense of empowerment and an appreciation for Mia's world. The accident had been a catalyst for growth, pushing her into realms she had only dreamed of. By the time the four weeks had passed and her leg returned as if by magic—because, of course, it was—Ashley had transformed. She was no longer just an adrenaline junkie urban explorer; she was a mage in her own right, a master of her own story.

As for Mia, she had learned the gravest lesson of all—the consequences of her actions in the tapestry of fate. But she had also gained a true equal, a partner in magic, and their bond had grown unbreakable.

Together, Ashley and Mia stepped into the future, a future where magic and the metropolitan were intertwined, and their adventures were just beginning.

As the moon crested over the skyline of the city, Ashley and Mia, now comrades in the mystical arts, ventured beyond the concrete jungle to a place where modern GPS maps faltered and the ley lines of the old world held sway. There, cloaked by the lush embrace of the wild, lay the ruins of an ancient magical civilization, whispered about in obscure tomes and hushed tones in the backrooms of esoteric bookshops.

The ruins, remnants of a bygone era where magic flowed as freely as water, were said to contain a pool—a sanctum of pure mana, unspoiled by time. With the night sky as their canopy, the pair navigated the underbrush until the ruins rose before them, bathed in the silver light of the moon. Vines clung to weathered stone, and the air was thick with the power that pulsed through the remnants of archaic spells.

The pool, nestled at the heart of the ruins, glimmered like a jewel in the night. It was said that the waters were infused with the essence of the earth's veins, capable of rejuvenating the magic within any who bathed in its depths.

With a shared glance, Ashley and Mia shed the trappings of the city and entered the waters. The pool embraced Ashley, its magic compensating for her temporary loss, allowing her to swim with a freedom that defied her condition. The water was not just a physical balm but a wellspring of arcane energy that soaked into their very beings, replenishing the mana that flowed through their veins.

As they swam, the boundaries between them, once defined by mentor and pupil, blurred into something more profound. Laughter echoed off the ancient stones, a sound as timeless as the magic that surrounded them. In the water, under the gaze of the constellations that had witnessed millennia pass, they found themselves drawn to each other by a force as natural and powerful as the ley lines beneath their feet.

The water seemed to recognize the burgeoning bond, glowing with a soft luminescence that reflected the light of their souls. And in that moment, Ashley considered the possibility of prolonging her magical ailment. The thought of remaining an amputee, if it meant continuing to explore the depths of this newfound connection with Mia, wasn't as daunting as it once might have been. The transformation had, after all, led her here—to magic, to Mia, to a love she hadn't anticipated.

Their time in the pool was both an eternity and a fleeting instant, a paradox befitting the mystique of the ruins. When they finally emerged, it was with a sense of renewal, both in magic and in heart. The crutches, which lay beside the pool, seemed less like a shackle and more like a bridge—a bridge that had carried Ashley to this point in her journey.

The ruins, once silent and waiting, now played host to the whispers of a new story, one that intertwined Ashley and Mia's destinies. As they left the sanctity of the pool and the embrace of the ancient stones, they carried with them the warmth of shared affection and the quiet promise of tomorrow's magic.

The city awaited their return, a canvas for their adventures, both arcane and intimate. But the ruins and the pool remained, a testament to their journey, ready to welcome them back whenever they sought the tranquility and power found in its waters. The magic of the place had woven itself into their tale, a thread of the old world in the tapestry of the new, binding them together in ways they were only just beginning to understand.

[rimbaudsleg]

Workout

[rimbaudsleg]

Red trainer

[luna-rainbow]

idk if you've seen that post, it's from years ago at this point, where someone is surprised to hear that Bucky has a disability. i think it's in an ask with a response like HE'S MISSING AN ARM. remembering that left me thinking,,, what are your thoughts on Bucky's own comprehension of his disability? like, i'm sure he experiences chronic pain, and he's aware of his disability *especially once he has a metal arm that can be detatched as we see in tfatws* but i also feel like he might feel guilty taking the title of disabled because he has the serum and is "super" plus he doesn't feel like he deserves the support/help that can and should be given to disabled people when they need it. ALSO he hasn't had all that much time to process as a human rather than a controlled weapon that he is missing an arm. his prosthetic has been welded into him,, with probably less sensation,, but it functions like an arm,, idk i just feel like it probably hits him out of the blue, too 🥲

Oooh thanks for the interesting ask nonnie! And yes I do remember that hilarious post.

Here's my usual disclaimer that this is just throwing out ideas and that canon lends itself to many different interpretations.

I think the first thing to consider is Bucky's relationship with disability as a concept. He was good friends with Steve, a chronically ill person, but sometimes people have a different bias when it comes to invisible illness versus visible body difference. I have seen people, including disabled people, who are more accepting of one type than the other. He had grown up during a time when disability was considered a "defect" and there was talk of eliminating them from the gene pool, so there might be some inherent fear of being seen as "disabled". At the same time, he had also fought through one of the bloodiest wars of human history but also post the antibiotic era, which means a lot of major injuries became survivable compared to WW1. He likely saw many people around him become physically marked in one way or another. I have a feeling that that experience would have reconciled him with the fact that the value of life is greater than physical wholeness. So overall, I think Bucky probably had a fairly accepting view on disability and illness back when he was able-bodied, and while he needs time to process the loss, that acceptance is probably somewhat protective against self-hatred.

The second thing is the curious subject of Bucky's bionic arm. I have met (lower limb) amputees who reject the "disabled" label, because to them once they put on a prosthesis they could walk and run and work and exercise. I think worrying about being "deserving" might be a small part of it, there's a bigger part of worrying about social perceptions of disability -- they didn't want the "handicap" label to be used to hold them back. I suspect you are right, in that Bucky probably sees himself as very capable, even super-humanly so, with the (very high-tech) prosthesis. He most likely feels that being a soldier is a big part of his identity and sense of worth. I suspect also...going back to what Bucky's relationship with the word "disability" means, his interpretation of that (given he came from the 1940s) might mean something that has a profound impact on function, and he may feel that he doesn't fit that mark.

The third thing is Bucky's relationship with body image, which has varied from movie to movie. The Winter Soldier had no qualms flaunting that arm, but then the Winter Soldier had no mind of its own, and its handlers knew the metal arm was intimidating. In both Civil War and TFATWS, we see Bucky wear gloves and long sleeves to hide his arm, which he removes when he starts a mission. It could be that he doesn't want to scare people or draw attention to it day to day, or it could be that he associates the arm with the soldier part of himself and he doesn't want to see it when he's trying to return to a normal life. Interestingly, in Wakanda, Bucky had been quite content to walk around without any sort of prosthesis at all. This might suggest that he's less bothered by the missing arm than he is by the need to wear a weaponised prosthesis.

But you know, people are fickle creatures, and I am sure when he's hit by PTSD or a bout of anxiety or depression, his views on body image and his physical limitations would take a very nasty turn and he would have to work through all the stages of grief again.

[bah-circus]

hiii <33 could i get a duo of pupkit consolers? lvl 3 preferably, but lvl 2 works if you’re slammed! brainmade or fictives from any of the following sources, as long as one is dog themed and one is cat themed; arcane, gravity falls, the magnus archives, greek mythology, my hero academia. pretty open ended and creators choice, interested to see what you come up with!

Of course dear audience! We have heard your request and have found a suitable performer for you! We hope this performance suits your needs, but you are free to make any adjustments you wish.

❣︎For Our Next Act, Please Welcome,,,❣︎

Hyacinthus!!! Sevika!!!

°·⊱ Name: Hyacinthus, Cinth, Flora, Chip, Hayes, Callen, Havana, Rory

°·⊱ Age: 18 

°·⊱ Race/Species: Human [transInumimi(Vizsla)]

°·⊱ Source: Greek Mythology

°·⊱ Role: Pupkit Consoler, Siren, Mood Booster

────── · · · · ──────

°·⊱ Sex: Male

°·⊱ Gender: Masculine Nonbinary, Hyacinthean, Gaything, Himbopupgender, Puppyboyic

°·⊱ Pronouns: He/Him; Flor/Flors; Pup/Pups; Yip/Yips; Fae/Faer; 🪻/🪻s; 🌷/🌷s; 🐾/🐾; Paw/Paws

°·⊱ Sexuality: Achillean

°·⊱ Personality: Gentle and loving, radiates warmth. Athletic but not competitive, prefers cooperative activities. Carries deep understanding of loss and rebirth.

────── · · · · ──────

°·⊱ Nicknames/Titles: [Prn] That Was Loved By All, The Object of Many’s Attraction, [Prn] Who Wants to Find Love, [Prn] With so Few Thoughts, The Pup Who Just Wants to Play

°·⊱ Likes: Flower Tending, Sunbathing, Athletic Activities, Poetry, Music, Dancing, Nature Walks

°·⊱ Dislikes: Competitive Sports, Jealousy, Cold Weather, Darkness, Discord Between Loved Ones

°·⊱ Emoji Sign-Off: 🪻🐾🐕‍🦺🏳️‍🌈🥏🎵

────── · · · · ──────

°·⊱ TransIDs: transInumimi(Vizsla), transVizsla, transDogEars, transDogTail, permaAge [18], transPurpleEyes, transAutism, nullGroomed, permaAdored, transWorshipped, permaEyeliner

°·⊱ CisIDs: Spartan, Tanned Skin, Amber Eyes, Brown Hair, Prince, Piercings, ADHD, Groomed

°·⊱ MUDS: Harmonic Happiness Syndrome

°·⊱ Paras: 🐾, Ω, 💐, 🔱, 🔗, 📸, 🛐

°·⊱ Faceclaim: 1 | 2

°·⊱ Name: Sevika, Magpie, Yumi, Ivor, Kyren, Shivani, Meris, Renna

°·⊱ Age: 40-42

°·⊱ Race/Species: Human

°·⊱ Source: Arcane

°·⊱ Role: PupKit Consoler, Pain Holder, Physical Protector, Caretaker, Buffer, Aegir

────── · · · · ──────

°·⊱ Sex: Female

°·⊱ Gender: Catweirdo, Angrycatgender, Bloodcattic, Hissgender, Fauxgirl, Agender

°·⊱ Pronouns: She/Her/ It/Its; Fang/Fangs; Claw/Claws; ✖️/✖️s

°·⊱ Sexuality: Butch Lesbian

°·⊱ Personality: Gruff and aggressive on the surface, but deeply protective of weaker system members. Street smart / Urban sort of medical experience. Tends to adopt almost anyone younger than herself, even if fang doesn’t want to, it can’t help but be caring. 

────── · · · · ──────

°·⊱ Nicknames/Titles: [Prn] Who Wants to Better the Lanes, [Prn] Who Works With Silco, The One Who Protects the Underdogs, The Reluctant Older Sister

°·⊱ Likes: Combat, Training / Exercise, Drinking, Smoking, Night Prowling, Fighting for Underdogs, Underground Fights, Solitude, Gambling

°·⊱ Dislikes: Authority Figures, Betrayal, Weakness, Abandoned Children, False Loyalty, Sugar-Coating, Empty Promises

°·⊱ Emoji Sign-Off: 🎰🥃🐈‍⬛❤️‍🩹🦾🎲

────── · · · · ──────

°·⊱ TransIDs: transRedEyes, mutoGamblingAddiction, transADHD, transBPD, hedonGroomer, duteParent

°·⊱ CisIDs: Zaunite, Brown Eyes, Tanned Skin, Brown Hair, Amputee [Left Arm], Gambling Addiction, Alcoholic, Nicotine Addict [Preference for Cigars], Autism, Depression, ASPD, Chem-Baron, Bodyguard, Bruiser, Introvert, Angry

°·⊱ MUDS: Spike Emotion Disorder

°·⊱ Paras: 🐾, 🍸, 🍬, ❣️, 🦖, 🔥, 🪢, 💧, 💤, 🔪, 📸

°·⊱ Faceclaim: 1 | 2

OH BOY DID I HAVE SO MUCH FUN WITH THIS PROMPT, I SPENT TIME FIGURING OUT WHO WE WANTED TO PAIR TOGETHER TO BE THE MOST FUN USE OF THE ROLE/PROMPT!! Hyacinthus is one of our favorite greek mythology characters, so this was an all around delight thank you Herald !! - Pest Swarm ; Merrick

[cripplecharacters]

Hi! I have a character in the anime world, Boku No Hero Academia who’s had a prosthetic eye since the age of three years old. Right now, he’s 15, turning 16, and gets a prosthetic arm later on in the story—I wanted to ask if these things are okay?

-he often jokes that he’s “turning into a robot” (he does this when he loses his arm)

- When he DOES get a prosthetic arm, Mikumo finds it odd and kind of tedious to use. He figures he can just use his telekinesis to move things around that he can’t reach but that in and of itself makes him sick so his friends are often like “hey, you should wear this” and he’s annoyed but does so specifically when he can’t do things on his own. Since this IS a fighting anime, he does end up wearing it for fights rather than everyday mundane tasks but I’m not sure if that’s okay or not?

-With his eye, after losing it during a training exercise, he doesn’t end up getting a new one and doesn’t seem to care very much. He still has an eyepatch over it because of protection though. My main concern was that I had only figured out the prosthetic eye thing after publishing chapter one and wanted to ask if it’s possible for the eye to appear glossy / and or for the person to close their eye shut alongside the other one? I don’t particularly mention that his eye is any different than a normal one but I’m unsure if that would confuse readers when I write him doing normal stuff with one eyed vision or not? Would he have been used to seeing with one eye that it doesn’t bother him?

- With his prosthetic arm, he learns how to do things with one limb but uses the prosthetic for fighting and fighting only, or just fighting and SOME mundane tasks but he doesn’t exactly like leaving it on all the time, hence why he almost never uses it save for the specific thing mentioned. Is that falling into any tropes?

Hello, I'll try to go point by point. Standard disclaimer that we don't have amputee mods or mods with ocular prosthetics, take everything with a grain of salt.

Robot joke: Yeah, disabled people do that joke, I've heard it IRL a few times.

Prosthetic arm: I'd have to guess that it would be more of a hindrance than help? Depends on amputation level, perhaps. But either way that's a chunk of metal that is heavy and tiring to use, you might as well get a metal socket to hit other people with, genuinely seems more practical and easier to control. Especially if he doesn't have time for a bunch of occupational therapy and just wants to go back to fighting stuff.

Prosthetics eye: how does he lose it? I only ever heard of people losing their prosthetic eye in water with strong current, otherwise I think it would be hard since it's in the person's eye socket and all, you have to get your fingers in there to take it out. Out of curiosity, if it's a result of school activity, will they repay him the cost of his prosthetic? I don't know how Japanese insurance nor law works but in the US a prosthetic eye is 2000$+, if he's 15 his parents would probably kill him for just losing it like that. Not to mention that it would probably feel like losing a part of his body if he has been using it consistently for so long - it doesn't mean he has to want it back ASAP and worry himself sick, but he will need an adjustment period for "oh yeah I don't have that anymore" to actually click.

Technically a prosthetic eye can look in any way since the appearance/colors are just cosmetic, but the "glassy look" is generally associated with glass eyes, which just aren't really a thing anymore. Most prosthetics are acrylic and look exactly like the other eye, you really can't tell which is which (on people who have only one prosthesis) in my experience.

The biggest (and usually only) visual difference is the lacking movement of the prosthetic when compared to the other eye. But in terms of POV writing, 99% of people's first thought will be strabismus rather than a prosthetic eye.

If his prosthetic eye is fit properly he should have no problems with his eyelids, including closing and winking or whatnot. This however will change when he ditches it for an eyepatch as the eyelids will lose their shape. He might have problems using a prosthetic eye later if he just goes with a bare socket and not even a conformer (another thing his parents would probably worry about if he has been using a prosthesis for the past 13 years).

He would have probably gotten used to his monocular vision by that point, he spent his essentially whole life like that. I was born with impaired depth perception and well, I don't know anything else, it's just normal to me. Even if he did have to do some things differently, I don't think he would consider it as "bothering" him, that'd be just how he learned to do it in the first place.

Prosthetic arm again: I can mostly refer you to that post in our pinned about writing characters with an upper limb prosthesis. The thing is, if he's below the elbow, he probably really doesn't need it outside some specific activities that he could have a specialized prosthetic for (there's not that many of these activities). If he doesn't have a residual limb (or has an extremely short one), he is almost definitely not using a prosthetic since it's incredibly hard to control and weighs a ton, two things that don't really help while fighting. He can still kick ass without a prosthetic or even using his residual limb (though I wouldn't recommend punching with the limb if he has a through-bone amputation, it would hurt him more than whoever he was punching). I know that in media every arm amputee is suddenly helpless and immediately loses once they don't have their prosthetic, but that's just the "perfect magic prosthesis/disability as a superpower" BS again. A lot of completely able-bodied characters use one arm in combat, whether they use a gun or a one-handed blade or something else. It's completely possible to fight with one arm.

To figure out if it falls into tropes, you need to research how realistic it would be. He's not wearing his prosthesis 24/7 which is good, but when does he wear it? If it's while [performing activity A], try googling how amputees with the same level of amputation (!) do it. There are articles and Q&As and YouTube instruction videos about everything now - see if real life amputees actually need a prosthesis to [perform activity A]. It could be that he would need it, that he wouldn't at all, or that he wouldn't need it per se but it would speed the process up or whatever. If the conclusion is "yeah he would need it", then it's realistic and not a trope; and if he wouldn't need it, then you now know how he would actually do it. You can also alternatively look at similar resources for people with hemiplegia since it's a more common disability and some or a lot of it might apply to your character as well.

Hope this helps,

mod Sasza

[seeingteacupsindragons]

So I’ve been thinking a lot about mental health and mental illness lately (thanks, new psychiatrist) as I process a new diagnosis and what it means and reframing my image of myself, so I want to talk about some stuff.

So if you know all this already, just. Bear with me, okay, I’m processing a lot right now.

A lot of people on here get annoyed at advice to, like, go for a walk or do yoga or see sunlight or clean things up or meditate or whatever. And I get it, because I also get annoyed at people thinking that will solve my problems. I have had a boss try to get me to do a damn meditation app as if that would solve the work impact my mental illness was having, and it infuriated me.

But, that’s not because it doesn’t solve a problem. It just doesn’t solve the problem I have.

Meditation apps and all that other stuff are basically the mental health equivalent of eating a salad and jogging once a week. Someone who doesn’t do those things, even if they’re not otherwise sick, are not going to be very healthy and are going to feel kind of gross. It’s baseline health care.

But eating a salad isn’t going to cut it if you have a broken leg. You actually need medical care.

(Please go to a doctor if you have a broken leg. Thank you)

Now, if you get the mental health equivalent of a cold—something stressful is going on at work or with your friends, or a lot of small emergencies are popping up at once—you can probably still get by without a doctor. Increase the vegetables, get some soup, rest and sleep a lot. Do some extra mindfulness exercises, take a new yoga class, get a little TLC, clean your room. It will help you feel a lot better, and then the “illness/blip” will pass and you’ll be back to baseline in relatively short order, without needing to see a doctor.

But what if you have mental health bronchitis, or a broken leg? I would compare these to maybe some post-partum mental health issues, or grieving a death of someone, or a divorce, or something like that. You may actually need to see a doctor, get some care, see a therapist and get counseling, maybe briefly stop by on some antidepressants or anti-anxiety meds to help you recover. And then you’ll probably be mostly okay, with maybe some lingering issues and a good strong memory of that time you were Not Okay.

But you weren’t going to get okay without something a lot more than vegetables and cardio.

And then there’s the Chronic Mental Health issues, like many mood disorders or personality disorders, or PTSD/CPTSD, panic disorders, phobias…the lingering things that need serious help and you are very likely in fact to never full recover from, or even partially in some cases. These are where you get type one diabetes or Celiac’s or an amputation, or multiple sclerosis, or any of that. Stuff where you desperately need regular, often daily, medical care and management to stay healthy and functional.

And these ones are going to change your life even with medical care. A diabetic might need a medical device attached to them at all times, they are likely to need to check their blood sugar regularly, they’ll need to think about what they eat and how it will effect them, they’ll need to carry glucose tabs. They might have a medical ID bracelet! And sometimes mistakes might still happen and things go very badly. An amputee might have a prosthetic or might not, but either way it won’t do everything a biological appendage will, and they’ll have to adjust their lives to how to move and pick things up or whatever in a very different way to someone who has that body part. And someone with Celiac’s is just not going to be able to eat gluten. Not matter what medicine they take. It’s not going to happen.

And that’s the thing: even when you’re getting regular medical care and treatment, and you have a plan worked out and you’re used to it, if you have a mood disorder or PTSD or schizophrenia or something…you may very well never quite have a life that looks like someone who only needs yoga and meditation classes. You may always need other accommodations and lifestyle adjustments to function and manage.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t be happy. It means things are going to be so different for you that the people who manage with salad and a treadmill are just not going to be able to offer any useful advice to you. Your needs are way too different.

And then there’s getting into a car crash or catching meningitis. Sometimes, shit is just going to happen to people, and they are going to need to be hospitalized and watched very carefully for a while. I would probably categorize a lot of mental breakdowns, like the kinds that are at the onset of many mood or panic disorders, some levels of psychosis, sometimes the death of someone very dear to you—in fact, many of the things that might be broken legs to some might turn out here. Maybe someone else broken their leg with a nice clean fracture, but yours was a complicated shatter of a joint that started healing wrong and also got infected.

And the hospitalization isn’t going to be the end of your care, either. You’ll stay in the hospital until they can get you stable, until you don’t need medical professionals a button press away, until you can be assumed to recover the rest of the way on your own.

But, for people who know people who have come home from the hospital after a surgery or serious illness…it’s far from the end of the road, or even return to a new baseline. You’re going to need a lot of help and rest and recovery even after hospital discharge. Someone will probably have to watch you, might need to help you take your meds, might need to bring you food and drinks, or cook, or do chores.

And people who care should, maybe, understand, and send, “Get well soon,” and “Thinking of you” and flowers, and organize meal trains and otherwise show up for someone who is seriously ill.

Of course, a lot of that would be weird in the Chronic Illness space. But there, I think the understand would be, “Yeah, you know your friend can’t have gluten,” and “Why would you suggest they go for a hike with you when they’re in a wheelchair, you dick?” and “I made you low-sugar treats! I worked super hard on the recipe!” so people around you know that you have different needs and you care enough to accommodate them and make sure they are still cared for…differently.

I don’t think I’m going to edit this before posting.

But I’m thinking about it a lot, and I think I’m going from a place where I though I had a broken leg to realizing the leg was never actually going to heal without a limp, to realizing, in fact, that the leg didn’t break the way I thought it did and I need some physical therapy and a new doctor to get it working and see what happens then.

Maybe this was helpful to someone besides me. But it felt good to get it all into words!

[ask-postcrash-curly]

Heya curlster! Curlsalot! Here’s some videos from a comedian I like, thought you’d get a kick out of it! If u like him, I’ll send more!

Weight problem

https://youtu.be/R-pAOMgBLtw?si=SqohpUfDk32EKi6y

Convos with children

https://youtu.be/bofQNSez6PQ?si=wFGYPJGyp7Wor0rM

Yoga

https://youtu.be/K8UOIqn-RmE?si=zTsJ4GSqgilfH29M

Too nice

https://youtu.be/MAK9gjD7-jg?si=fx1MFl3njdTBecdE

Hey!! Thanks—

Oh! He's an amputee—? Pfft... Right, well, I'm pretty sure I am malnourished, or at least was before getting picked up by this ship, but— Hah. Thank you.

Fell off! Hah! Sure does happen sometimes. "Oh, okay." Damn, kids are hilarious. Jimmy had to go and chop it up, huh? I could've gotten a visit from the— hah— Leg Fairy— Hahahah, that's bloody awful.

...I wonder if you can play amputee football with— Wait, no, that's not fair. I don't have any hands or feet. Damn. Yoga, huh...? Wow. Quite the improvement there... Ah, but bodybuilding's a bit of a sham. Still. I'd really love to get back into exercise someday.

Bully with offensive levels of kindness... Extra legroom! Hah! ...Damn, stuff to look forward to, huh? Maybe I could find a track somewhere...

Thanks for these, Possums. I seriously enjoyed them.